Tri Cities ValleyCats

[Duman]

Welcome to the Tri Cities 2008 thread.  Here is where we will welcome your thoughts, questions, observations and especially your first hand accounts of the ValleyCats this season.   

[Duman]

Press release about roster

Partial roster is at MILB tonight, expect it to be complete by Monday.

[Duman]

Full Roster in local paper. 

[Duman]

Local Paper story about start of season. Robert Bono is making the opening day start.  Work has it he was one of the best pitchers in extended and landed the trip to Tri Cities ahead of David Denilli who is older and was drafted higher.

Here are some highlights of the story:
Rancott talks about talent -

“Our hopes this year are that our draft was much better, and that we do have the players to not only compete in this league, but to excel in this league,” Rancont said. “Hopefully, we’re going to see what we have, and find out that we are going to be successful.”

Bono on being the only RHP starter:

“We had a pitching meeting this morning,” Bono said. “I walked in and said, ‘I’m the only right-handed starter.’ That’s the way it happens.”

[Jacksonian]

First game of the year and they're a little shorthanded tonight.  No Steele and no Gaston.  Perhaps no Castro.  Possible he gets assigned to Lexington, once he's signed.

[Hornstros]

SS had 5 errors last night.....ouch.   Still got the 'W' though...gotta love that.  That OF they put on the field last night is solid (Steele, Shuck, Gaston)

[Jacksonian]

3 pitchers, Wolf, Miller, and Mowdy combined tonight to throw a no-hitter against Oneonta.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_21_trcasx_oneasx_1

[Towlie]

lol, i took a nap while listening to that game completely expecting there to be a bloop single against them. its wonderful to hear that they did that.

[Jacksonian]

Watching Shuck in the batter's box reminds me of Brett Butler.  In a good way.  Very slappy with little power.  On base guy with speed.

[Jacksonian]

Jason Castro gets his first professional start tonight.

[matadorph]

Jon Gaston hit a walkoff two-run HR tonight for the ValleyCats. Castro went 1-4 with a double and a walk.

[jbm]

How bout this Meszaros guy.  A 48th round selection with 17Ks and 2BBs in 8.2 innings.  Small sample, but still.

[Towlie]

How bout this Meszaros guy.  A 48th round selection with 17Ks and 2BBs in 8.2 innings.  Small sample, but still.

i was thinking the same thing when i went to check the box scores tonight.

[Towlie]

About Meszaros. Since you can watch the videos of past games on MiLB.com I've been giving him a look at what he has that has him simply dominating in the few innings that he's pitched. I think its:

LOCATION! The guy can locate his pitches, especially his fastball (which clocks in the low 90s, and not a very big guy either, he reminds me of Lincecum when it comes to body build). Hes not afraid to throw his breaking pitches though he mainly worked this one game with fastball curveball combos. Even so, he still uses his change up...which once again he located well...and a slider. The slider looks to be the one pitch that he doesnt have the best control over, but he mainly throws it on 2 strike counts down in the dirt.

[Duman]

Chris Hicks made his debut tonight.  1 IP, no hits or walks.  2 K's

[Towlie]

Our David Flores is the mvp of the NYPL All-Star game. He hit the game winning two run double to end it. Congrats!

[Duman]

Our David Flores is the mvp of the NYPL All-Star game. He hit the game winning two run double to end it. Congrats!

Justice for a kid who was left of the original roster and was added as an injury replacement.

[Hornstros]

Jack Shuck had a great game too, numbers wise.   Based on the box score it looks like he made more Plate Appearances than anyone else involved in the game